G O U R M E T K N OW L E D G E
A guide to Vietnamese coffee culture With each Vietnamese region having its own distinctive way of brewing, serving and enjoying coffee, it is no surprise that coffee culture has become an indispensable part of both Vietnamese history and every day life. By Thuy Nguyen
The arrival of coffee in Vietnam The first coffee trees followed the French to Vietnam in the 19th century. The main coffee beans at the time were Robusta, which boast a strong and bitter flavour and have undoubtedly influenced the way coffee is enjoyed in Vietnam today. Coffee began as a luxury drink, enjoyed only by French nobility and the highly-educated. After 1975, coffee farms appeared at a fast rate in the Central Highlands, and coffee became an increasingly popular beverage. From the ‘90s until present day, Vietnam has been the second-largest exporter of this commodity, closely following Brazil.
The coffee trio Hanoi locals will proudly introduce you to egg coffee and recommend that you pay a visit to Giang Coffee Shop to experience this decadent delight authentically. Legend has it that a well-known chef at the Metropole hotel created egg coffee in an attempt to combat milk scarcity. In the 1940s, the shortage of produce was at a critical high, and it was
78 epicurevietnam
too costly to make a cappucino in the traditional Italian-style. After extensively experimenting, the innovative chef found that egg coffee was a sweet and delicious alternative to the costly cappucino. To make egg coffee, raw yolk, sugar and milk are vigorously whisked and served atop black coffee. While the drink is still hot, you are advised to softly stir the topping into the coffee to produce a blended taste that is fluffy, tender and bitter.
